Climate policy experts say that it is time to “take off the training wheels” and implement government mandates to spur decarbonization.

Christiana Figueres, who founded the organization Global Optimism and previously served as the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and Tim Lenton, a researcher from the University of Exeter who is one of the authors of a new report, spoke to reporters during an event hosted by Covering Climate Now.

Lenton’s new report is about what the authors describe as positive tipping points. A positive tipping point is one that leads to further actions reducing emissions. This generally refers to government actions or changes in policy in the private sector that lead to reduced emissions.

Already, in the electric utility sector, the price of wind and solar has made them more affordable than fossil fuel generation. This has spurred the early closure of coal-fired power plants like the San Juan Generating Station in northwest New Mexico.

But there are other areas where government actions could increase the speed of decarbonization. 

One example Figueres and Lenton both discussed is mandating that no new internal combustion engine vehicles are sold after a certain date. Another example given in the report is a mandate requiring the phase out of coal-fired electrical generation.

The importance of mandates

Lenton’s report found that mandates are the most effective way to getting toward the decarbonization goals. The authors also looked at methods like subsidies.

Figueres said that it is time for governments to mandate decarbonization. She said that means putting very clear targets and timelines in place that are sector-specific. These could be different targets and timelines for different countries.

But getting to the point that the governments around the world implement mandates will likely be an uphill battle.

Mandates tend not to be popular and many countries are taking a technology neutral approach toward curbing emissions rather than mandating something like electric vehicles.

A mandate in the United States would also likely meet legal challenges and the conservative-dominated U.S. Supreme Court has struck down many of the attempted climate policies implemented by Congress and the president.

Mandates that are done wrong could also hurt low-income and minority populations as well as people in rural communities that don’t have access to resources such as EV charging stations.

Efforts in New Mexico to implement clean vehicle standards have been met with backlash from residents who are concerned they may no longer be able to afford cars and trucks that require gasoline. Some New Mexicans rely heavily on trucks to haul drinking water long distances to their houses. 

New Mexico adopted rules intended to increase the number of electric vehicles that manufacturers are required to send to dealerships in the state. The state and the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board moved forward with the implementation and the rule went into effect July 1, despite a request from car dealerships to delay the rule pending a court ruling.

Lenton said that the low-income residents who have to drive long distances are actually people who could benefit from electric vehicles. This is because electric vehicles are less expensive to maintain and operate than their internal combustion engine counterparts. But they tend to have a larger upfront cost. 

Figueres said policies take time to implement.

“There is a timeline that allows for the transition and the sooner that timeline, that target and timetable is established, that then unleashes infrastructure development, investment into infrastructure development,” she said.

She said that in states like New Mexico where residents might be traveling long distances to access necessities like water it is very important to build out the charging infrastructure.

Figueres said that charging infrastructure will not be built “unless there is a very clear sign that by such and such a date, we would not be able to access any more new trucks.”

She said implementing those targets will also spur investment into technologies like electric trucks that will help bring down the costs and make them more affordable for the people who need them the most.

Figueres said people can benefit from electric trucks because they require less maintenance and do not produce emissions that harm the drivers and the environment.

“What we need is just a clear signal that that is going to be the future, and once you know that, then industry and finance begins to prepare to make that future a reality,” she said.

The role of the Inflation Reduction Act

One way that the United States is preparing for that reality is through laws like the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, better known as the bipartisan infrastructure law.

Figueres said that the Inflation Reduction Act is the “signature regulation in the world on decarbonization.”

She said it not only includes policies to accelerate decarbonization, it also is designed in a way that centers vulnerable populations.

“That whole social benefit aspect was very pioneering when it was built into the IRA,” she said. “The Europeans had not thought about that, and the Europeans are now thinking about, how do they also bring that into their next chapter of regulation?”

One benefit of the Inflation Reduction Act for low-income residents of New Mexico is the law made it easier for them to pay the upfront costs of new, energy-efficient appliances through a rebate program.

Another way that New Mexicans could benefit is through the Solar for All program that will increase access to renewable energy for low-income households while also creating jobs.

The Inflation Reduction Act includes tax credits for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. The bipartisan infrastructure law also provides funding for charging infrastructure.

New Mexico has received nearly $2.5 billion in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, $5.3 billion from the bipartisan infrastructure law and more than $217 million to date from the Inflation Reduction Act.

The governor’s executive order

New Mexico is also taking steps to support decarbonization.

On Monday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued an executive order intended to speed up the transition to clean energy and develop both the infrastructure and workforce needed for that future.

“Communities that have been devastated by natural disasters are wisely demanding that we sustainably manage the forests, build bridges that withstand flooding, and harden our telecommunications infrastructure against the threat of fire,” she said in a press release. “In short, they are demanding climate-ready infrastructure.”

In the executive order, the governor states that the current rate and pace of infrastructure investments in New Mexico is “straining the existing workforce and inflating construction costs.” At the same time, she writes that the accelerated transition to cleaner sources of energy is creating a significant demand for new jobs and skills.

The executive order calls for a collaborative effort across nearly a dozen state agencies and offices to plan, develop and track infrastructure and climate-ready workforce training. It also instructs that workforce policies and programs expand opportunities for workers from rural, underrepresented and underserved communities.

The governor set a goal that New Mexico will train 2,000 workers for climate-ready professions by 2026.

The executive order also includes providing services such as childcare and transportation to help the workers “successfully enter and advance in clean energy careers.”